Cat's In The Cradle

This story is part of an ongoing series. The chronological order of my stories is listed in WifeWatchman's biography.

Feedback and constructive criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.

This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

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Dedicated to Paul Harvey.

Part 1 - Prologue

"And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you coming home dad? I don't know when,
but we'll get together then, son
You know we'll have a good time then..."

--- Harry Chapin, 'Cat's In The Cradle'

Friday, August 30th. It was the first day of school at Eastside Elementary. Little Jack Burke and Douglass Burke were beginning first grade, and Teresa had asked me to join her and Todd in the welcoming 'gauntlet' of parents for the kids to go through. Remembering Carole and Marie doing that they year before, I agreed.

I was at the end of the line near the doors, as was Todd. Teresa was near the beginning of the line. Douglass was the first through the line, and grabbed my crowbar and told everyone to touch it for luck. One-by-one, they did, some of them pausing to be photographed doing so.

One girl, who had been crying and didn't want to go to school, came up reluctantly. When she saw me, her eyes widened and she said "The Iron Crowbar? You're here?"

"I sure am." I said. "Are you ready to do great things in school?"

"Yes!" the girl said, grabbing the crowbar and then letting it go and running into the school like someone left the gate open.

Todd was grinning at that. "You're famous, Uncle Don." he said. "Or at least that red crowbar is."

"If it inspires kids to do well in school," I said, "that's just fine with me."

The only kid who did not touch the crowbar? Little Jack Burke. He didn't high-five Todd, either...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

10:00am. The Angels meeting was starting late.

"How was it?" Cindy asked, mostly to Teresa.

"It was... kind of a moment." Teresa said. "I didn't expect to feel emotional about it, but they're... growing up so fast..."

I nodded vigorously in agreement. "Laura cried last year when Carole went through. Next year is Jim and Ross, and Pete and little Dan Allgood, too. Wow..."

Cindy asked "You need me in this meeting? I'm suddenly swamped with potential changes if the Council passes them... and if the Charter passes, too."

"Just for one thing." I said. "Security for the ball game tomorrow. Is the plan ready?"

"And already in action, sir." said Teresa. "The RVs are already rolling into Town."

Tanya said "I've been asked to participate in the halftime ceremony for Derrick Waters. So I'll be at the game."

"As will I." said Cindy. "Todd gave me and Callie his tickets. Not sure where he's going to be."

"On the field with Tanya and Train No. 93." said Teresa. "And I'm handling security, so I get the coveted free pass into the Stadium."

"I'll be there, too." I said. When my Angels looked at me, I said "Someone has to provide your security with adult supervision."

"Hey, we might convert you before all is said and done." Cindy said with a gleam in her ice-blue eyes.

"Noooooo." I said. "I'm Wildcat Red 'til I die. But I do want to see the ceremony for 'Train No. 93' tomorrow..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Cindy left the Angels meeting, but after it was over she came back into my office. "Don," she said as she sat down at my hand-gesture invitation, "You get three guesses where Martin Nash was reassigned to."

"And my guesses will be Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, or Harrisburg, Pennsylvania." I replied. "I don't know which for sure, though."

"Not much gets by you." Cindy said. "It's Harrisburg. My father found that out, and made a point to let me know, even though I didn't ask. And how did you know it was Pennsylvania?"

"Your father is keeping tabs, which is smart." I said. "As to Pennsylvania, my chain of logic is that Nash's uncle, the DepDirector, achieved his life's goal of destroying Superior Bloodlines, and helped the Guardians of Justice against the Swamp Frogs. But a lot of the remaining Froggies are in Pennsylvania and the Northeastern U.S., so it was a logical place for Martin to..."

I reached up to my pocket, and clicked the 'pen' there; Cindy knew that meant I'd activated my anti-bugging device. I continued: "I might add that Nash's capital within the FBI was severely diminished by recent events, and being his uncle's nephew is now a hindrance to his career rather than a positive thing for him. So going to Pennsylvania, where the dregs of the FBI are, was what was available to him... well, that's what they'd like us to think, anyway."

Cindy caught the inflection in my tone, and her eyes brightened. "Ahhhh, you think they're doing something sneaky?"

"Maybe." I said. "My first guess is that it's the DepDirector trying to make lemonade out of lemons. Martin really fucked up, but they're trying to parley that into getting Martin closer to the Frogs, to see what he can get from them."

"A bullet in the back, if you're right and they find out." Cindy replied. "Uh, you don't think that was the plan all along, do you? To insert him in their midst? Like Geiger's undercover operation, Operation ISCARIOT?"

"Err... no." I said. "If that was the plan, it was poorly thought out. Martin burned a lot of bridges, as did his uncle, and especially with Jack Muscone and what used to be Team Lazarus. Jack is a good guy, and they stabbed him squarely in the back. They didn't do much to keep my confidence, either. If this is some kind of operation on the DepDirector's behalf, it'll be done without me having anything at all to do with it."

"Keep that thing on." Cindy said, meaning my anti-bugging device. "Are you aware that Laura no longer gets the CIA's daily national intelligence brief?"

My eyes widened a bit at that. "No." I said. "Then again, I never really knew that she was getting it."

Cindy looked at me as if she thought I was joking, then said "Callie didn't have access to it, but she knew Laura was getting it even after Laura retired from the Science & Technology Directorate. We also think Melina is still getting it. It's not what the President gets every morning, but the Cliff's Notes of it. Callie said that for the last few weeks Laura hasn't been getting it, nor a lot of other stuff she used to get. It's as if Laura has been taken out of the loop, or taken herself out of the loop."

Cindy paused, then continued: "The reason I'm mentioning this... is because it's happening in the same timeframe as this business with Martin Nash and his uncle. And Teresa was the one that rescued you, but she won't talk about it, at all, even though I can tell she knows something. So... is there anything I need to know?"

"Yes." I said without hardly blinking. "First, Teresa is a very wise Iron Wolf for keeping her mouth shut. Second, I knew Laura was CIA before she knew I knew, and once I told her, I made sure to let her know that I didn't want to know what she was doing or any information at her level. I really didn't know what briefings she was getting, or what other information. And except for Carole getting huffy when Laura went to 'meetings' or if it concerned me directly, I had no idea what Laura was doing with the Company. All of that was way above my pay grade and my clearance level."

I then bored in on her and admonished: "May I suggest, cousin-to-cousin, partner-to-partner, friend-to-friend... that you and Callie begin doing the same."

"Oh, she never tells me---" Cindy started, but I raised my hand.

"I'm sure, I'm sure." I said. "But just consider telling her that you don't have the need to know... about any of it. At all. Okay... last, and what you're really asking about: I can honestly say that I don't know who kidnapped me and took me under the Hospital and put me through that torture over McGinty's Materials. And I don't want to know."

Cindy just gave me a 'look' as she fell back into her chair. "Don..."

"It's like Schrödinger's cat." I said. "As long as I don't open that box, the cat is both alive and dead... and I prefer that to any reality of knowing the truth."

Cindy nodded. "Okay." she said. "That's your decision. But it's way too many secrets for me to want to deal with."

"You better get prepared to deal with it." I said, a bit more sternly. "Your father is what he is and where he is because of his vast information network. He's McGinty's Materials on steroids, one thousand times over. And you, ma cousine, will inherit that one day."

Cindy nodded. "I know. I'll burn that bridge when I come to it, which I hope won't happen for a long time. Any other family secrets you want to tell me?"

"No." I said. "They'll come to you when the time is right, and you're supposed to know them, as your father would say. Well... I'll give you this little hint: have you ever wondered why my mother despises your father so much?"

"Uhhh," Cindy said, "I thought that stemmed from my father and your father being estranged brothers."

"That's some of it." I said. "But there's a lot more too it. a lahhhhht more to it."

"You wouldn't tease me, would you?" Cindy asked.

"No, but the answers are for you to find for yourself." I said. I reached up and turned off the bug-killer. "All right, we have work to do..."

Part 2 - Thirty Yard Gain

Saturday, August 31st. The University Bulldogs's game against Taco State was expected to be little more than a scrimmage, but the festive mood of the renewal of the college football season was in the air. And as usual, the tow trucks were doing a festive business removing illegally parked cars.

I was wearing my 'casual' uniform: light blue golf/polo collared shirt with embroidered badge over the heart, khaki pants, police belt, and my normal khaki Tilley Hat. And I was wearing a small clear headset with earpiece and microphone, for communication.

I attached myself to the security detail that took Derrick 'Bloody' Waters, a.k.a. 'Train No. 93', into the Bulldogs locker room to see his former teammates. It was an emotional time for everyone, and the camaraderie was good to see.

At noon, the pre-game festivities began. The Band marched onto the field and exhorted the fans to get riled up. The Bulldogs ran onto the field, led by their outstanding mascot Chief IV, to the roars of over 92,000 fans in the stands. Toe met leather and the football season was AWN!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Sports Media is as bad as the Mainstream Media, full of agendas and fake news. The ongoing narrative during the summer was that the Bulldogs were going to overtake the defending National Champion Wildcats and win the Division. These same 'experts' also kept saying that Florida was going to overtake Georgia and win the SEC East. I didn't know about Georgia and Florida, as Alabama was the undisputed powerhouse in the SEC this year, but I thought that this local Bulldogs team would have to magically get better, a lot better, to compete with what Heisman Trophy Winner Jamaal Washington and running back Clarence Appletree were going to bring to the Wildcats offense.

As I watched, I felt something brush up against my leg. I looked down to see that most outstanding of bulldogs, Chief IV, standing next to me and looking up at me. I went to a knee and let him sniff my hand, then I gave him a good petting as Media photographers took pictures. I don't know if Chief IV remembered me from our previous meeting, (Author's note: 'The Saga Continues', Ch. 03.), but he looked like he would give me the rest of the game to stop petting him.

And then came the halftime festivities. I called into my little microphone to check on things, and received the message that all was good. The crowd began cheering as Derrick Waters was wheeled out of the tunnel on the east end of the stadium to the 50-yard-line. Several dignitaries were with him, University officials and Tanya Perlman among them.

The proclamation was read, retiring the No. 93 jersey and unveiling Derrick's name on the stadium's side. Then, just as the ceremonies were about to end, something 'unexpected' happened:

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THAT WHEELCHAIR?"

The voice blasted over the P.A. system, and that voice was mine. Everyone saw Your Iron Crowbar stalking out onto the field, red crowbar in hand. There seemed to be a lot of shock amongst the crowd, though many thought this was planned. It wasn't, except by me.

I'd heard enough of Tanya's reports that Derrick was not doing as well as he could be in his rehab, and I was going to change his suppositions and redirect his expectations.

"Stand up! Get out of that wheelchair!" I ordered, my voice echoing over the P.A. system, which Myron had helped commandeer (with the help of the P.A. people). Tanya whispered something to Derrick, and he took the hand I extended to him and I pulled him to his feet.

"Show these people what you can do!" I said as I began pulling at him to begin walking with me.

"I can't." he said quietly. I did not let him get away with it.

"Don't tell me what you can't do!" I thundered. "Show these Bulldog fans what you CAN do! Let's go!" Derrick began walking with me, his steps stumbling and difficult. I went just fast enough to make him come with me, but not too fast that he couldn't handle it.

The crowd realized what they were seeing, and they began roaring for Train No. 93 as we slowly walked parallel to the sideline, me stepping backwards as Derrick walked forward, his eyes locked onto mine, staring daggers at me but also revealing his determination to not lose face in front of the Bulldog Nation.

"That's right, keep going!" I was yelling into the microphone. "Show them what you can do! Show them what Train No. 93 is made of!" The roars only grew louder. And then, Derrick stumbled. Weakening, he began going down. I guided him down until we were on the ground on our knees.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" I said into the P.A. system. "You have just witnessed the greatest 30 yard gain in the history of Memorial Stadium!" Indeed, Derrick's wheelchair was at the 50-yard-line. We were on our knees between the '2' and the '0' of the 20-yard line.

"DAMN... GOOD... DOG!" the crowd began roaring as the others hurried to bring Derrick's wheelchair to him. We helped him to stand back up and then sit down in the wheelchair. I noticed the tears flowing down his cheeks as he acknowledged the cheers and support of the fans as he was wheeled back to the tunnel. And at the entrance to the tunnel, he stopped the caravan, then stood up out of his chair again and waved to the roaring crowd one last time.

Derrick Waters would begin improving. Now that he had the expectations of the Bulldog Nation motivating him, he would recover and begin walking again, nearly fully recovered by the end of the season. And though none of us knew it, he would repay me the favor one day...

Part 3 - Cat Among the Apples

The Bulldogs won the game 45-3, and the Sports Media just could not heap enough praise upon them. Though it was an early game and many people went on home, there was still enough of a crowd to prompt us to not meet at the Cop Bar. So I hosted a big party at The Cabin to watch the Wildcats evening game against State Tech.

*BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!*

It was my personal iPhone, and it was my mother calling. "Don, can you come up here tomorrow, perhaps for a couple of days?"

"Uh, I don't know, Mom." I said "What's going on?"

"I'd like you to come up and see what my new condo in the Senior Community is going to look like." my mother said. "You can bring Jim, Ross, and Ian up, if you want to. If Laura can't come, see if Molly can; she's never been to Apple Grove before. But I really need you to be here, especially Monday."

"Er, okay, I'll see if I can get away." I said. My mother asked to speak to Todd, and I handed him my phone. I said "Laura, can you go to Apple Grove with me tomorrow?"

"No, I've got to get ready to teach my classes." Laura said. "Even with the Labor Day holiday, I'm swamped."

"Can I go, Daddy?" Carole said excitedly.

"No, you have school." I said.

"Awww!" Carole sulked.

"Quit yer complaining, Fussbudget." I said. "You've got to take care of Buddy and Bowser for me, and feed Tiger Mom."

"O-kayyyy." Carole said, not really mollified.

"Sure, Grandma." Todd said. He made his goodbyes then disconnected and handed me my phone back as he said "Grandma wants me to come up, too. Which is just as well; I need to check up on the factory up there."

"Did she say what it was about?" I asked.

"No." said Todd. "I got the feeling she didn't want to talk about it on the phone."

"Hey, Molly." I said to Molly when she came into the room. "Think you can come up to Apple Grove with me tomorrow and Monday?"

"Oh, I don't know." Molly said. "I missed all that time earlier this year being in the hospital. But I'll check with Paul Price and see if he'd be okay with it."

As we watched the Wildcats game, we saw that running back Clarence Appletree was having a massive day. He was taken out of the game in the third quarter with 365 rushing yards and the score 48-0 Wildcats.

"Wow." I said. "Is State Tech that bad, or is our OL that good?"

"Some of both." said Todd. "And every time Tech loaded the box, they started passing to Jamaal Washington. I hate to say it, but if this keeps up, you guys are going to be unstoppable again."

Carole leaned over to me and whispered "Daddy, Uncle Todd wants the Wild-cats to lose."

"I know, Fussbudget." I said. "Your cousin Todd is kind of messed up that way."

Todd chuckled and grinned his brilliant grin at Carole. She was having none of it. "You're busted, Uncle Todd."

"Yes he is." Teresa said. "I'll just have to spank him at home."

Carole looked confused for a moment, then Laura called all the kids to the kitchen for the pre-bedtime snack. I just looked at Teresa and said "I don't think she understands the kinky stuff yet." Teresa and Todd both had a good laugh at that one.

The final score was Wildcats 62, State Tech 0...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

At 9:00am Sunday morning, we piled into Todd's new SUV. Todd was driving, I was riding shotgun, and Molly was sitting behind Todd. His SUV was outfitted so that kids could be seated in their kid-seats in the all-the-way-back, so Jim, Ross, Ian, and Mike Burke were strapped in for the ride.

The SUV was white with the BOW Enterprises logo on the doors. "It's just like the one I gave the TCPD." Todd said upon my comment about it. "And just like your new Police SUV. Bulletproof windows, composite materials in the doors and frame, reinforced front and quarterpanels around the engine, and this puppy can get up to 200 miles per hour if we really had to. It just doesn't have the Police modifications like all of yours."

"I'm looking forward to BOW making a generous gift to the Nextdoor County PD. Hint hint." Molly said with a grin. "Of course, they might fire me and make Price the Police Chief, what with the time off I've been taking."

"You'll have no problem finding another job." I said. "The SBI is desperate for good people. Frank Soltis would likely make you his Assistant Chief in Midtown, if you wanted. Sheriff Griswold would hire you for a high position in the Sheriff's Department or the EMTs, if we get the EMTs."